zero waste

The average American throws out 550 pounds of paper, 318 pounds of food, and 90 pounds of glass per year, with nearly 80 percent of that garbage ending up in landfills. Transforming the average household into a zero-waste, all-natural, toxin-free utopia is an overwhelming concept if you try to tackle everything at once. Best to go through the house room by room, step by step to see which disposable products can be replaced with more eco-friendly options.

Having children may somewhat complicate the zero-waste transformation, but they in no way make it impossible. If you need a little push in the right direction BeSimpler is an inspiring business where one of the two extremely eco-chic founders (they both have kids and live waste-free!) will actually do a house visit to help mamas simplify and eliminate unnecessary waste. Here are some of their tips to transform a house into a waste-free, kid-friendly, sustainable home.

1. Babies use a lot of diapers. Most disposable versions go right in the trash along with handfuls of wipes, destined to spend years decomposing at the dump. Reusable cloth diapers and wipes are the best option for a zero-waste home (there are plenty of services who do the pick up and laundry), while compostable diapers are a good second option. Unlike other single-use diapers, compostable nappies are made of ingredients that will compost when put in the proper environment — they contain no petroleum-based plastics that pollute our Earth by remaining un-decayed for hundreds of years.
2. Babies make messes. Swap paper towels for microfiber cloths.
3. Rid the home of piles of junk mail by getting yourself off the lists at dmachoice.org and catalogchoice.org.
4. Treat boo-boos with peroxide, gauze, and paper tape instead of Band-Aids.
5. Use a neti pot or reusable handkerchiefs for stuffy noses.

Keep reading for more tips for converting a home into a waste-free zone.

For the most environmentally conscious of foodies, compostable silverware just isn't enough. Case in point? In.gredients, soon to be the country's first-ever zero-waste, no-packaging supermarket.

In.gredients, which is slated to open this Fall in Austin, TX, plans to specialize in fresh produce, dairy, beverages, dry bulk goods, and household toiletries and cleaners. Shoppers will not only be required to bring tote bags to take home groceries with, but they'll also need to bring reusable containers to purchase foods such as grains, nuts, spices, and coffee from the store's bulk inventory. For more details on the store concept, keep reading.